Group asks for ethics probe of Ensign

By Lisa Mascaro

Thursday, June 25, 2009 | 2 a.m.

A watchdog group filed complaints with the Senate Ethics Committee and the Federal Elections Committee on Wednesday, calling for investigations of the circumstances surrounding Republican Sen. John Ensign’s affair.

Ensign admitted last week to an extramarital relationship with his one-time campaign treasurer, Cynthia Hampton, whose husband, Doug Hampton, worked for the senator at the time as a top aide.

Doug Hampton claims the affair led to the couple’s termination in April 2008. The affair had started the previous December and continued through August.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington cited several potential ethics and legal violations:

• If the couple were dismissed because of the affair, it could be considered sexual harassment under the Civil Rights law and Senate rules.

• If Ensign paid a severance to Cynthia Hampton from his own pocket, as has been reported, no disclosure has been made in campaign reports as required. Knowingly failing to report a payment greater than $25,000 would be a criminal violation. The senator’s office has declined to say whether any severance was paid.

• If Doug Hampton’s extra $6,000 in his final month’s paycheck was a severance, and not unused vacation time as the senator’s office has stated, it may be a misuse of official funds.

The organization also suggests an improper conduct violation might be warranted if Ensign claimed to have been blackmailed but failed to report it to law enforcement. Ensign has never publicly said he was being extorted, but sources identified as close to Ensign initially told some media outlets that was the senator’s reason for coming forward. Law enforcement has said it is not investigating any extortion claim.

The senator’s spokesman declined to comment.